THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1879.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5632, 4 December 1879, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1879.

Till; reluctance of the Queen to take part in public affairs siuce the death of Prince Albert ; her resistance to all the remonstrances of journalists with regard to her aonstant absence from London, and of the complaints of tradesmen ; the devolving upon the Prince of Wales of State receptions, and the discharge of public business properly appertaining to the occupant of the throne, and rumours of her Majesty's intention to abdicate, must long since have created tho impression that grief at the death of the Prince Consort had impaired health previously robust, and possibly encouraged the development of horcditary disease. The announcement, therefore, which we make this morning that her Majesty is suffering from indisposition, " severe but not serious," will not be altogether surprising to our readers. Those who regard royalty with no great favour will, like the vast majority who deem that the Queen has been a loyal sovereign and seriously anxious to discharge fittingly the great duties of her high position, will hopo that the ailment from which she suffers may not be such as to incapacitate her from tho discharge of her large responsibilities. There appears, however, some reason to fear that it may bo necessary to relieve her for a time from tho cares of State, and substitute the Prince, who, it may be expectod, will in the course of events succeed to the throne at Her Majesty's demise. The loyalty of Englishmen is not always discriminating, and such a change in the head of tho State might not evoke much comment, but those who remember —and who does not ?—the fidelity of the Queen to her high trust, her great domestic virtues and personal worth ; who remember that the majesty of the Throne and respect for

her high office have been enhanced by her high personal qualities, will sincerely regret if any temporary relapse were to render lier unlit to discharge the duties of her position. The unwelcome news of the Queen's indisposition would hardly call for comments so serious as those we make, but for the incidents of the last few years, and it will be a source of gratification if we have over-estimated the perils of tho illness from which her Majesty sutlers. Severe illness supervening on protracted weariness and mental depression, is suggestive of a fear of the absence of that power of resistance—tho chief hope of a speedy recovery. Should the Prince of Wales bo required by Parliament to play the part of an uncrowned King there is no reason to doubt that he will be able to discharge fittingly duties with which he is in a measure familiar. A man of mature years, and of the average ability of princes, tho task should be 110 very serious one to him, though it might interfere with that pleasure-seeking life to which the Prince devotes himself with a zest inducive of comments not always favourable. The natural abilities of a Prince, developed by high educational training and associations stimulative of tnteliigene?, should always render him lit fur royal duties in a country such as Engbin !, where constitutional has superseded personal government. If, however, it. iietruu, as iliere appears reason to believo. that the per.sonal uiiluence of the Prince of Wales lias of late been a distracting element in British politics, the duties would be less light to one disinclined 10 accept the passive position with which the Queen has to ;i large extent been content. It may be doubted whether the bestowal on the Prince of the powers of the Crown at a tune when there is a Conservative Government in office with which lie closety identities himself and which has been fairly charged with endeavouring to exault the powers of the Throne, would not he a causc for some anxiety. Thus the health of the Queen is a matter of more than usual interest and will increase the desire that Her Majesty may by able to retain powers hitherto exercised with a wisdom and beneficience which have so greatly endeared her to the race over whose destinies she has so long and successfully presided.